Villages of the Maures

Leaving Hyères via the D98 then the coastal D559, you reach the Maures foothills in about 35 km, trading sea breezes for schist ridges and cork-oak valleys; the Sauvette signal tops out at 780 m and sets the tone. First comes Bormes-les-Mimosas facing Cap Bénat and Cap Nègre; higher inland, Collobrières revolves around AOP chestnuts and old confectioners; off the grid, the 17th‑century Chartreuse de la Verne overlooks unbroken forest. Much of this drive follows old transhumance paths, past dry‑stone hamlets and stepped terraces still in use.

From there, your driver collects you at your Hyères hotel and keeps the Mercedes on hand all day: pause for a Cabasson beach shot with Fort de Brégançon in frame, wander flowered lanes without hunting for a space, taste chestnut cream in Collobrières while the car waits. The pace stays flexible—an hour at Bormes’ Arts & History Museum if the light is harsh, a detour along forest road D214 when the easterly drops. With a dedicated private chauffeur in Hyères, you cover sites 8–25 km apart without wasting minutes.